(Story written by Sonia Bowers, undergraduate student in the Fisher College of Business pursuing a Bachelor's in Business Administration with an International Business specialization and a minor in Environment, Economy, Sustainability, and Development)

As I prepared to travel abroad with Fisher’s Sustainability Business Global Lab in Costa Rica, properly preparing for cross cultural 

interactions was a huge focus for many of the students, including myself. Understanding behavioral differences, cultural expectations, and lifestyle changes are just a few of the topics that come to mind when considering interacting with individuals in other countries and cultures. To help prepare for this trip, Ohio State's Center for Latin American Studies spoke with us about Costa Rica (and even helped us learn some Spanish!).

Throughout our learning sessions, we uncovered information about the historical context, gender roles, and ways of living in different contextual situations throughout the nation. These aspects are important to keep top of mind to ensure your safety abroad while maximizing your experience.

While learning and researching about a culture can help you gain a surface level understanding of what to expect, learning through experience and cultural indulgence is unbeatable. Upon arriving in Costa Rica, it was amazing to see how citizens remained environmentally conscious throughout their lifestyles. Being surrounded by beautiful terrain and landscapes articulates why Costa Ricans feel strongly about environmental protection and sustainability.

As an American abroad, observing sustainable lifestyles while still appreciating the riches of life was truly remarkable. I hope to take these sustainable concepts and apply them to my future career path, ultimately empowering American businesses to rethink how businesses are involved with climate change. From a cultural aspect, traveling to Costa Rica opened many new doors and connections that will last a lifetime. Being in an unfamiliar environment allowed me to exercise my cultural empathy while uncovering important lessons about conducting business internationally. Although Costa Rica is only 6 hours away, the different mindsets and lifestyles of Costa Ricans taught us valuable lessons about culture in Costa Rica.

Pura Vida!

If you would like to participate in this program, it will be offered again in Spring 2025. Click here for more information.

CLAS's support of this initiative was in part by grant funding from the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI NRC funding. The content of this program does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.